tharandt



Patented May 9, |899.

T. D N A nn A H T W .a 0 7, i. 2 6 ,.0. N

' CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

(Application led Fab. 14, 189B. Renewed Mar. 17, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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l CLUTH CUTTING MGHINEf (Appnmiun med rgb. 14, lese. Renewed um. 17,4899.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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NiTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE. r

WILHELM THARANDT, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO PHILIPPSOHN duLESCHZINER, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECFATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,704, dated lV-IayA 9,1899. Application filed February 14, 1898. Renewed March ].7l 1899.Serial No. 709,466. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM THARANDT, a subject of the King of Prussia,Emperor of Germany, residing at Berlin, in the Kingdom of Prussia andGerman Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCutting Devices for Machines for Cutting Cloth, (for which I haveapplied for a patent in Germany, dated Aug-ust 2,8, 1897,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in de. vices for cutting cloth; andit consists in a suitable support, a power-pulley, and a movable housingmounted in said support, carrying a knife-chain, and means forcommunieating movement from the said pulley to th said chain to actuatethe latter.

It also consists in a suitable support, a housing mounted thereon, aknife-chain mounted in said housing with means for operating the same,the said chain comprising a series of knife-blades having curvedcutting-surfaces for producing a shear cut.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 represents a vertical centralsection of my improved cloth-cutting device, taken upon the plane of thecutting-knives. Fig. 2 represents a detail horizontal sectional viewupon the line oc w of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 represents a vertical sectionalview through the cutting devices, taken on a plane at right angles tothat of the section shown in Fig. 1.

The present invention is designed particularly for cutting stuffs ofconsiderable thickness, especially where it is designed to cut sharpcurves in the goods. The use of a series of knives enables me toaccomplish this purpose much better than I could if I employedknife-disks, which would be necessarily larger, when cutting throughthick stuff and could not be turned well in the thick layer of cloth inconsequence of the arc-like form of the cut. All this diiculty isobviated by using the knife-chain as I contemplate in my invention.

As seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, asupporting-bearing, as A,isemployed, which may be carried by any suitable supporting-frame,(notshoWny-as,v for instance, pivoted extension-arms, adapted to permitof awide range of movement on a Work-table. The bearing A is preferablyarranged vertically, with an enlarged central portion, and is adapted toreceive a-power-pulley, as 7l. Thepulley e' is provided with a centralbelt-engaging portion and end bearing portions, as e" i', which ex- 6otend into the bearing A. A belt may engage the said pulley upon itscentral portion and connect the same with any suitable source of powerfor revolving it in the bearing A. Interiorly of the pulley t' is formedan internal 65 gear, as h'. The pulleyi and its bearing portions t" e"are hollow and are adapted to surround a movable housing, as B, in whichis mounted the cutting-knife chain,the said movable housing beingadapted to extend above 7o and below the bearing A, as clearly seen inthe drawings. The upper portion of the movable housing B is larger thanthe bearing and power-pulley, and may rest upon the bearing A when themovable housing is in its lowest position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3 ofthe drawings. The housing B carries a guide c, which extends centrallythrough the said housing B and downwardly below the bearing A forguiding the knife-chain which moves therein. 8o A central guide portion,as b2, is formed in the guide c and. divides the upwardly and downwardlymoving parts of the knife-chain', separating them the proper distancefrom each other. The knife-chain b comprises a series of knife-blades aa, which are connected together by means of links, as a', preferablyriveted to each side of the knife-blades. The knifeblades are preferablyprovided with curved cutting-surfaces, as seen in the draw- 9o ings, sothat when each knife engages the cloth to be cut it will act upon thesame with a draw or shear cut. The knife-chain passes upwardly upon oneside of the partition h2 in the guide c and overa pulley,as G, mountedin the upperpart of the'housing B. VThe pulley G revolves upon a shafte, carried 'by a housing, as e. The pulley G is preferably provided withgrooves upon its periphery to receive the knife-chain, and in saidgrooves roo are formed a series of projections or pins, as g, adapted`to extend between the links u' of the chain. These pins lserve toactuate the chain and prevent its slipping upon the driving-pulley G. Inorder to bring the chain together again below the said pulleys G,guidepulleys ffare mountedin the housing B upon suitable shafting, thesaid pulleys being provided with peripheral grooves to receive theknives and their links, as clearly seen in Figs. l and 3 of thedrawings. The chain then passes downwardly through the guide c upon theother side of the partition b2. To the lower end of the guide c issecured a suitable foot, as p, and a slot is formed in the said foot topermit the knife-chain to enter the same at the base of the guide c. Anantifriction-roller, as h, is mounted in the foot p, around which theknife-chain can pass in its operation. The foot -p is made of sufficientheight to prevent the knives from striking the table or other supportupon which the foot may rest, and the said foot is preferably providedwith an elongated central portion, as at fr, to guide the goods orstuffs to be cut to the knives. The guide c is provided upon one sidewith a cut-away or slotted portion through which the cutting edges ofthe knives a may project to engage the stuffs to be cut as the chainmoves downwardly.

In order to actuate thepulley G for driving the knife-chain, abevel-gear, as n, is secured to the shaft c, which meshes with acorrespending bevel-gear m, mounted upon a vertical shaft, as Z, whichfinds suitable bearing in the housing B. The lower end of the shaftlextends downwardly through the bearing A interiorly thereof and carriesa pinion, as 7c, which is made of considerable length, the teeth of thesaid pinion being adapted to engage an internal gear h', formedinteriorly of the power-pulley t'. The power received by the pulley t'is thus adapted to be communicated to the pinion 7s and the shaft Z andthen through the bevel-gearing m and ato the pulley G for actuating theknife-chain, as heretofore described.

The pulley is mounted in the bearing A and is incapable of verticalmovement therein; but the housing B, which moves interiorly of the saidpulley, can be moved up and down to a limited degree. It is desirable tohave this capability of movement in the housing B in order that the footp may accommodate itself to any unevenness of the surface of the tableor oth-er support upon which it rests.

It will be apparent from the above description that although the housingB may be held at a higher or lower point in the pulleyt' and bearing A,yet the length of the pinion 7c will permit of said change in the partswithout affecting this ability to communicate movement to theknife-chain.

It Will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 in the drawings that the pinion kis made of sufficieutlength to permit of a considerable movement of thehousing B without disengaging the operating-gearing or affecting itsoperation in the least.

As the knife-chain after constant use is liable to become stretched onaccount of the wearing of its pivotal points, it is desirable to be ableto ta'ke up the wear, and for this purpose I secure the frame e' to ascrew-shaft, as z, the upper end of the said shaft engaging ascrew-threaded bearing formed in the cap or covering-frame secured tothe upper end of the housing B. By turning the screwshaft a' the frame cmay be raised and the pulley G be thus lifted, so as to take up anyslack in the chain.

It will readily be seen from the description of my invention that it isspecially well adapted for the purpose of cutting stuffs of all degreesof thickness. As seen in the drawings, the blades a are preferablyarranged close together, so as to present a practically continuouscutting edge to the stulf or cloth. This arrangement of the cuttingedges to produce a practically continuous cutting edge possessesconsiderable advantage over the arrangement of cutters at a distancefrom one another, which would tend to produce a chopping action.

Having now described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a device for cutting cloth, the combination with asupporting-bearing, of a stationary pulley mounted therein, a movablehousing mounted upon said bearing and eX- tending through the same and aknife-chain mounted in the said movable housing, upon suitable pulleys,and gearing connecting the said pulley with the chain for actuating thelatter, substantially as described.

2. In a device for cutting cloth, the combination with asupporting-bearing, of a power- IOO pulley mounted therein,the saidpower-pulley being provided with a central aperture, a movable housingextending through the said bearing, a knife-chain mounted in the saidmovable housing, a pulley for actuating the said chain, a shaft having apinion engaging the power-pulley at one end and a bevel-gear at theother, and a bevel-gear meshing therewith connected with thechain-pulley for actuating the said chain, substantially as de-lscribed.

3. In a device for cutting cloth, the combination with a suitablebearing, of a powerpulley havin-g an enlargedbelt-engaging portion andend journal portions adapted to engage the said bearing, the said pulleyand bearing having a central opening, a movable housing mounted in thesaid opening and carrying a knife-chain, the said housing having a guideformed therein for guiding the knifechain, a supporting-pulley mountedin the upper portion of the said housing and adapted to engage the saidchain for actuating the same, guide-pulleys also mounted in the saidhousing for guiding the knife-chain into the said guide, bevel-gearingconnected with the said chain-supporting pulley, a pinion connected withthe said bevel-gearing, an inter- IIO nal gear formed in the saidpower-pulley adapted to engage the said pinion, the construction beingsuch that upon the power being communicated to the pulley, it will becommunicated to the chain-supportin g pulley for actuating the same,substantially as described.

4. In a mechanism for cutting cloth, the combination with a suitablesupporting-bearing, of a power-pulley mounted therein,'a

- housing also mounted upon the said support, a knife-chain carried bythe said housing,

upon suitable pulleys, and means for connecting the same with the saidpulley for actuating the said chain, the said chain comprisingknife-blades having curved cutting edges, whereby they are adapted toprod uce a draw or shear cut, substantially as described.

5. In a mechanism for cutting cloth, the combination with a suitablesupporting-bearing, of a pulley mounted therein, an internal gearmounted in said pulley, a movable housing also mounted upon said bearingand carrying a knife-chain, a pinion adapted to engage the said internalgear, the said pinion being made of considerable length and means foroperatively connecting the said pinion with the said knife-chain foractuating the same, the construction being such that the knife-carryinghousing may be raised or lowered in the said bearing without disengagingthe pinion from the internal gear, substantially as described.

6. In a mechanism for cutting cloth, the

combination with a suitable su pporting--bearing of a housing mountedtherein, the said housing carrying a vknife-chain, a pulley mounted inthe said housing for supporting and actuating the said chain, a movableframe having a horizontal bearing and a vertical bearin g, the saidpulley engaging, by its shaft,

the said horizontal bearing and a vertical shaft engaging the verticalbearing, bevelgearing connecting the vertical and horizontal shafts andmeans for rotating the vertical shaft for communicating movement from'the power-pulley to the chain-actuating pulley and a screw-shaft foradjusting the said latter frame with respect to the lformer housing totake up any slack or Wear inthe chain, substantially as described.

7. In a mechanism for cutting cloth, the combination with a suitablesupporting-bearing, of a housing mounted therein, a knifechain carriedby the said housing, a pulley for supporting and actuating the saidchain, guide-pulleys for receiving the chain edgewise and bringing thechain together below the said pulley, the said guide-pulleys havingperipheral grooves for receiving the knifeblades and links to properlyguide the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my'hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILHELM THARANDT.

Witnesses:

KARL HARTMANN, JACOB PHILLIPPsoHN.

